She flew for more than 21 hours, survived a crash-landing on an island near Nova Scotia and went on to write her autobiography, West with the Night - the title a reference to the fact that she mostly flew in the dark. In early September, Markham set off from England in a tiny turquoise-and-silver plane filled with good luck gifts. She took up flying at a time when most people hadn't even seen planes, became the only professional pilot in Africa and, in 1936, accepted a challenge to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Markham was a colonial child, born in Britain and raised in Africa, where she met Ernest Hemingway on safari and was rumored to have had an affair with an English prince. But there were others who dared to fly that great distance, and I think the most intriguing member of those early record holders was Beryl Markham. She currently resides in Los Angeles.Īsk Americans to name the pioneers of transatlantic flight, and many will come up with Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Born in India, she has also lived in Singapore and Japan. Anne Cherian is the author of A Good Indian Wife.
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